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1 in 3 users reviewed Facebook privacy roll-back

Social network heralds 'success'

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One in three Facebook users changed their privacy settings in Facebook after the social networking site applied a controversial privacy roll-back and encouraged users to review how much they shared online back in December.

Facebook Director of Public Policy Tim Sparapani said that 35 per cent of Facebook users actually reviewed their settings during a recent privacy round table organised by the US Federal Trade Commission. Sparapani said the engagement rate is much higher than the industry average of "between 5-10 percent".

Facebook put in front of our 350 million active users a moment when we said, 'Please stop and think about privacy. Here's what's actually happening with your information. Here's where we think the information is important to you, and here's the controls you can use to exercise as much or as little control as you want

Almost 35 per cent of our users actually customized their settings... They took control of their data, perhaps for the first time. 35 per cent of 350 million users is an extraordinary number... We're pretty psyched about it.

Put another way, the Carry on Regardless attitude of 65 per cent of Facebook's 350 million users means that they are sharing any photos and posts they upload onto the social networking website with world or dog without anything like informed consent.

Following the application of Facebook's changes, users were confronted with a notice from the social networking site urging them to review privacy settings the next time they logged on. This notice did not explain that Facebook had lowered privacy shields, a move that had privacy and security experts frothing at the mouth. ®